NOW Technologies - Case Study

The ClientFounded in 2014 and based in Budapest, Hungary, NOW Technologies are a close knit, dedicated team of professionals working to help people with disabilities to live an independent life. NOW Technologies work closely with injured and disabled users and with medical and rehabilitation professionals to ensure that their products are not only safe, but are also sufficiently intuitive to minimize any necessary training.

The Project
NOW Technologies’ Gyroset Glory is a discrete, comfortable headset that enables users to control their computer and, when used in combination with Gyroset Link, empowers them to drive their power wheelchairs with the same device.

Although the early headsets were not required to comply with functional safety standards, upcoming versions of the controllers will give wheelchairs an autonomous capability and so will clearly be safety critical. For that reason, software was developed in accordance with IEC 62304:2006 “Medical device software – Software life cycle processes”, while the product as a whole meets the EN 60601 and ISO 7176 standards.

The BenefitsMark Istvan, Managing Director of NOW Technologies, takes up the story. “The connected nature of the Gyroset controller family meant that neither security nor safety were ever far from our thoughts” said Mark. “We decided to apply MISRA C:2012 because it is designed to be used with any critical system, whether it is safety critical, security critical, or both.”

LDRArules has been a vital component in adhering to the IEC 62304 standard, and TÜV certification has made its qualification for the project far less onerous than would otherwise have been the case.

“Although we clearly wanted the best technical solution for our products, cost is always a factor in the commercial world” he went on. “Not only is it a consideration for the initial purchase price, but ease of use was also important for us. We simply couldn’t afford to spend time struggling with a complex interface. Happily, LDRArules was easy to install and to learn” he went on.

The Future
Longer term, Mark also sees a future outside this domain. “There is big incentive in this particular market to get things right first time” he said, “and that is a very portable skill!”. “I believe that we are in a great place to expand into medical robotics, industrial applications and beyond” he went on.

Wherever the future takes NOW Technologies, it seems certain that LDRA will be involved. “We will definitely continue to use LDRArules, and will consider other LDRA products as our activities diversify” said Mark. “LDRArules has been invaluable to us. I would estimate that we have saved at least €200k by using the tool, which represents a very speedy return on investment for us.”

“I would estimate that we have saved at least €200k by using the tool.”